A safari to Africa is a bucket list for many. Despite this fact many believe that it is among the most expensive ventures that you can ever take. African luxury safaris are not expensive. They are manageable depending your safari interests. Planning for a family vacation or group tour can be draining. Both mentally and financially. There are thousands of safari lodges, villas or camps across Africa. These form the accommodation base of any travel plans. Perusing through all profiles would take eternity and put you off. With the help of an experienced travel experts like ourselves, we save you this hustle. What would take you a lot of time and effort will take us a very short while. There is a belief that planning through local tour operators or agents is expensive. This is not the case. As tour operators, we have negotiated rates with all the facilities. We get very competitive rates from them. Safari operators also have access to special deals that are on offer. Our rates therefore make a huge difference in your budget plans. An Africa safari to Kenya, Tanzania or Rwanda can be affordable with proper planning. Beach extensions to Zanzibar, Seychelles or Maldives are no exception.
There are several things that in our opinion determine your safari costs. You should consider this before you start planning your travel to Kenya. These are the extra costs that will not come as extras and not included in the final costs. It is your duty as the traveler to take care of them. International flights. Getting to Africa can be one long journey. However many countries enjoy a good number of international flights. Connection is through Europe and the Middle East. Johannesburg in South Africa is a stopover for airlines coming in from Asia. It is also a hub for regional flights within Africa. There are also direct flights depending on your origin. The costs of direct flights is much more expensive than the connecting flights. Depending on your group type and age of travelers, you will be able to choose which flights will suite you. This is regards to flying time and costs. Visas You get Visas at the port of entry or online depending on where you are visiting. Depending on your country of origin, there are places that you do not need a visa to visit. In other countries you can get a visa which allows you to visits multi countries. For example the East African visa, allows you to Travel to Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. The fees charged depends on your nationality. In Kenya, children under 16 traveling with family do not need a visa to enter Kenya. You should get a visa before you start planning your African safari. Travel insurance. Travel insurance is very important for any safari seeker. Africa is huge, remote and not fully developed in infrastructure. Due to the remoteness of Africa, it is advisable to get a Travel insurance. This travel insurance covers you for any emergencies. These include medical, loss of luggage, flight delays and cancellations. It is advisable to get it before making a safari booking. We do take evacuation medical covers for our travelers. This is in case they need an airlift from a safari destinations to the nearest medical facilities.
Vaccinations.
This are important and best advised by your physician. You may need more than one or no vaccine at all for some countries. In Tanzania, it is mandatory to have a yellow fever vaccine. This is if you made a stopover or come from a country that is prone to yellow fever. Currently as we are dealing with Covid-19 pandemic. It is mandatory in most countries to have a Covid Negative PCR tests upon entry. We advise what ailments you may be prone to but we leave it to your physician to recommend the medication.
Extra Pocket Money.
We recommend that you carry with you some extra cash. Extra bubbles with warm people, lovely cultures. You will definitely find a lot who want to sell you souvenirs to take back home. If you get to visit local markets and villages, then you can use the cash here. African look forward to appreciation of service. It is customary to tip after service but at your discretion. Lodges ask that you tip on departure. The staff share it after some time. Guides expect a tip at the end of the safari or per day depending on how you want to do it. When it comes to safari planning there are several things to put into consideration. This will determine how expensive or costly your safari will be. Traveling to Africa is a lifetime opportunity and we help you make the best out of it.
Private or Group safaris.
This two types of safaris vary in terms of planning and costs. For the group safaris, you travel with other persons who have the same safari interests as you. Most of these safaris are scheduled and already have a fixed price in place. Since you are sharing costs within the group, this kinds of safaris are always cheap. Traveling together as a group is fun, but you may all not have the same activity interests while at it. For the private safaris, this is custom made for you and your party. Be it you partner, family members or friends. This kind of safaris are labeled as FIT. This is to mean a fully independent travel. In this case they share the costs and so it will be higher.
Type of accommodation.
Accommodation is the baseline of all Travel. You will not travel if you do not have a place to spend your days. We find Safari lodges or camps within or around the conservancies or game reserves. The costs of accommodation depends on the class of the hotel or lodge and location. This vary from basic budget accommodation, mid-range, luxury and high end accommodations. These come as safari lodges, camps, luxury retreats, bush villas and exclusive houses. Accommodation inside the game reserves or conservancy is more expensive than that outside. This is because you do not have to drive long distances to view wildlife. Costs depend on the number of persons, composition of the group or your safari interest. Engage our travel consultants for the best accommodations.
Mode of transport.
Africa safari destinations are vast and long distances from each other. Getting around depends on how adventurous you can be. For those who love sightseeing, then driving would be a good options. You will drive across towns and villages. Here you mingle and experience the peoples local ways of life. Road transport will always be cheaper than air transport. We have different safari vehicles with different costs. Overland trucks are cheapest as you share costs as a group. The safari minivans come in second while the land cruiser are the highest in costs. We also have local flights which operate between this destinations. Flights rates are constant if you book with a tour operator. Charters are a little expensive as they go to areas that do not have scheduled flights. They are also taken by groups who do not wish to share space with others. Helicopters safaris and scenic flights on fixed wing planes are the most expensive.
You safari destination and activities within.
Masai Mara and Amboseli are the most visited safari spots in Kenya. This means that the accommodation here will be more expensive than the other areas. Different costs apply for different destinations. Those that attract high volumes of visitors also have high costs. Logistic will also affect your costs. Areas that are far off in remote areas means getting there is by flight or long drives. In beach areas sometimes you have to board a boat to the island or a flight to the mainland. Activities at the destinations also affect your safari costs. Most of them have game drives, camping, bush walks and birding activities. Others come with horseback safaris, scenic flying, fly camping or cultural exposure. The total costs will depend on what you want to engage in. Most of the extra activities come at a cost.
Park fees or conservation Fees.
This are an avoidable and contribute a huge chunk of the safari costs. National parks fees is set by the government. The game reserves and the conservation areas are local government and communities respectively. The conservancies are usually expensive. The money is used in community development and conservation. This is also one way of controlling traffic within the wildlife areas. This promotes quality of travel and promotes sustainability. The parks fees depend on the volume of clients interested in the place. They also depend on what activities are there. To sum it all, you do not have to go for the high-end packages to experience Africa. It is also not a very expensive destination as many perceive. The secret is in the planning. Let you travel experts do it for you to avoid the extra costs and unplanned budgets. We are the experts, we make it happen.
